Warp stop-motion for looms.



No. 630,096. Patented Aug. 1, I899. J. H. NORTHROP.

WARP STOP MOTION FOR LD OMSA (Application filed Dec. 16, 1898.| we Model.) 2 sheets-sheet I I I W695, 151 lTwen tm; dwwwl x LTvvzesIW62%0p,

Patented Aug. I, I899.

.1. H. NURTHROP.

WARP STOP MOTION FOR LOOMS.

(Application filed Dec. 16. 1898.)

2 Sheeis-Sheet 2 No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. NORTHROP, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, .ASSIGNOR TO THE DRAPER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE AND PORTLAND, MAINE.

WARP STOP-MOTION FOR LOOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,096, dated August 1, 1899.

Application filed December 16, 1898. Serial No. 699,440. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: position as in Fig. 1. Fig. at is a vertical sec- Be it known that 1, JAMES H. NORTHROP, of tional view on the irregular line at, Fig. 2, Hopedale, county of Vorcester, State of Maslooking toward the left. Fig. is a view simisachusetts, have invented an Improvementin lar to Fig. 3, but with one of the feelers in 5 arp Stop-Motions for Looms, of which the the position assumed when engaged by a defollowing description,in connection with the tector in abnormal position; and Fig. 6 is a accompanying drawings, is a specification, detail to be described. like letters and figures on the drawings repre- The loom-frame A, lay A lay-swords A senting like parts. the lease-rods L, whip-roll W, shipper handle 10 This invention relates to warp-stop-motion or lever S, and its notched holding-plate N, mechanism for looms, and has for its object Fig. 1 may be and are of usual or well-known the production of various novel features of construction in looms. The loom sides have construction, as will be hereinafter fully deerected upon them at the rear of the loom scribed in the specification and particularly upturned brackets A to which are bolted pointed out in the claims. The stopping means L-shaped stands C,having each a vertical slot for the loom, forming a part of said mechanc in its depending portion, said depending ism, is controlled as to its operation by or portions being rigidly connected by a crossthrough detectors, which in my present inplate or flattened bar C set on edge and I vention are located between the whip-roll and forming a back-stop fora detector when en- 2o thelcase-rods, and owing to such location said gaged by the feeler, as will be described. detectors derive little or no movement from An upright guide-plate C is also attached to the warp-threads, by which they are normally .the stands and extends, across the loom in supported. This normalinaction of the detecparallelism with the separator C and also 1 tors tends to permit the collection of dust or forms a back-stop for a second series of del 2 5 lint to clog the warp-eyes and also to intertectors, which are shown in two series at d e fere with the proper movement of the deiecand provided,respectively, with warp-receivtors on undue slackness or breakage of the ing eyes or openings d e through which warp-threads, and I have provided means the warp-threads w are extended to normally herein for sufficiently agitating the detectors support the detectors. These detectors are 0 to keep their warp-eyes clear and also to inpreferably formed as thin fiat sheet-metal sure their requisite movement at the proper strips longitudinally slotted at cl and 6, re-

time. In employing a plurality of series of spectively. detectors arranged in parallel banks or series I The upperedge of the guide-plate C is prefeach series of detectors has its own feeler, the erably rounded, as at c, to form a warp-rest 35 latter being arranged in tandem and mounted behind thedetectors e, and in front of the deupon a common support. The means for lifttectors d a preferably rounded bar or rod 0 ing the detectors periodicallyis operated by or forms a second warp rest, mounted in forthrough connections intermediate said means wardly-extended arms C secured to or formand the feeler-support. ing part of the stands C. The said stands 0 Figure l is a vertical sectional View of a provide bearings for a horizontal rock-shaft sufficient portion of a loom to be understood F, located immediately below or substantially on the line a; 00, Fig. 2, looking toward the in the plane of the warp-threads between the right, with one embodiment of my invention two series of detectors, said rock-shaft being applied thereto. Fig. 1 is a detail of the extended beyond the stands at each of its 5 5 holding-plate for the shipper-lever and the ends to receive thereupon arms F, one of such knock-off arm for the latter. Fig. 2 is an enarms being shown in Fig. 2 bifurcated or larged partial rear elevation of the stop-mobranched at its lower end, as at f f to suption mechanism shown in the upper rightport the feelers F F for the two series of hand corner of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical secdetectors, said feelers beingarranged one in 50 tional View of Fig. 2 on the line no a the parts front of the other, or in tandem} such term illustrated herein being shown in the same being hereinafter used and in the claims to denote this arrangement of the feelers. Said feelers are shown as an gle-irons suitably bolted to the branches and with the flanged portions substantially at right angles thereto and turned toward the detectors and normally movable in a curved path below their lower ends. The acting edges of the feelers may be notched, as at 3, Fig. 2, to prevent twisting of an engaged detector.

In Figs. 1 and 3 the feelers are shown at the beginning of their stroke toward the detec tors, and in Fig. 5 I have shown one of the feelers, as F, in engagement with a detector e in abnormal position, due to breakage or undue slackness of its warp-thread.

On one end of the rock-shaft F, I have mounted an arm F provided with a laterallyextended and upturned toe f to be normally engaged by a portion of the actuating mechanism for rocking the feelers. Said actuating mechanism comprehends a link g, pivot ally connected at g with one of the lay-swords and having suitably secured to it, as by a setscrew 1, at its upper end an L-shaped head 9 downturned or hooked at its free end, as at 9 to enter between the arm F' and the upturned portion of its toe f said head at the bottom of the hook being slightly recessed, as at g (see dotted lines, Figs. 3, 4, and 5,) to rest upon and receive the laterally-extended portion of the toe f, the latter, as shown in Fig. 4, being preferably beveled or slightly rounded at 5. The weight of the head 9 will serve to keep the hook in engagement with the toe to rock the arm F as the link g is moved longitudinally by the movement of the lay, the forward movement of the lay retracting the feelers, as shown in Fig. 1, and such movement being positive, while the opposite or feeling movement of said feelers is largely effected by their weight and by the weight of the head 9 acting upon the rockerarm toe-that is to say, if a feeler engages a dropped detector, as in Fig. 5, such feeler will be prevented from further movement on that stroke and the actuating mechanism will complete its movement. This completion of the movement of the actuating mechanism causes the lower edge of the head to rise on the lateral portion of the toe f and to slide thereupon, so that the head will travel in a diiferent path, for a purpose to be described, it being of course understood that the arrest of the feeler will also arrest the arm F rigidly connected to the rock-shaft F.

The inner upright faces of the downturned portions of the stands 0 provide bearings for vertically-movable supports H, one at each side of the loom and bifurcated at their lower ends to form separated legs h, rigidly connected by fiat bars h 72?, set on edge and extended, respectively, through the longitudinal slots of the detectors cl and e, the length of the slots in the detectorsbein g much greater than the depth of the bars, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The legs h of the supports straddle the rock-shaft F and the separator O the rearmost leg of each support being movable up and down between the separator and the guide-plates C.

The upturned arms 0 of the stands Ohave pivotally mounted upon them at their upper ends at 0 arms 0 extended rearwardly and bent laterally and upward at their free ends at c 0 the lateral portions extending through the slots 0 and between the legs of the adjacent supports H to support the latter and control their vertical movement, the upturned portion a serving as a stop to prevent displacement of the support. A depending lug or projection c on each of the arms 0 extends into the path of movement of a wipercam F secured-to or forming a part of the feeler-supporting arm F, fast on the rockshaft F, so that when the said rock-shaft is moved in the direction of the arrow 15, Fig. 5, to retract the feelers the wiper-cams will be elevated and, acting upon the rocking arms a, the rear ends of the latter will be lifted and with them the vertically-movable supports H. This movement of the supports raises the lifter-bars h h2 until they engage the upper ends of the slots of the detectors a short time before the lifting movement is completed, so that when the feelers are fully retracted, as in Fig. 3, the lifter-bars will have raised the detectors to altogether support them and remove their weight from the warp-threads. This position of. the parts is also shown in Fig. 1, and it will be seen that the warp-threads are thus relieved of the weight of the detectors as the filling is beaten in. On the opposite or feeling stroke of the feelers the wiper-cams F descend, permitting the descent of the supports H until stops h thereon engage the tops of the stands 0. The bottoms of the slots 0 support the arms 0 in their lowest posit-ion, as there is some lost motion between the wiper-cams and the lugs 0 By referring to Fig. 5 it will be seen that when the lifter-bars are in their lowest position the detectors are perfectly free to drop, by reason of undue slackness or breakage of their warp-threads, into detecting position that is to say, in the path of one or the other feeleras shown at c Not only does this slight lifting of the detectors periodically relieve the warp-threads of their weight, butit also serves to keep the detectors clear of lint or dust, the collection of which clogs the warp-eyes and also prevents the free movement of the detectors upon failure or slackness of warp-threads.

It sometimes happensthat one or more of the warp-threads are not as taut as their fellows and yet not sufiiciently slack to make it desirable to stop the loom, and when the detectors are lifted, as described, such slight slackness of warp-threads is counteracted and the unnecessary stoppage of the loom is prevented. A knock-off lever in, Figs. 1 and 1, is fulcrumed adjacent the shipper-lever and is pivotally connected at 7; to one end of a esopt s rod or link 7t and preferably threaded to enter threaded ears 7& of an arm 7t, pivotally connected at k to a bunter-carrier, shown as an arm K loosely mounted on the rock-shaft F beyond the arm F and provided with a hunter, shown as a shoulder 79 above the normal path of movement of the head g the latter at its upper end, above the hooked portion thereof being provided with a shoulder 9 \Vhen by the operative engagement of the detector with one of the feelers the arm F is held stationary, as described, the continued movement of the head g in the direction of the arrow 20, Fig. 5, will operate to lift the head as the bottom of the toe f is unseated from the recess g to bring the shoulder g into position to engage the hunter 76X, and thereby move the rod k in the direction of the arrow 25, Figs. 1 and 4, swinging the knock-off lever to release the shipper-lever from its holding-notch. The operative means for normally vibrating the feelers is thus made eifective through the hunter to act very directly upon the knock-off lever to release the shipper-lever, and thereby stop the loom.

By threading the rear end of the rod L a ready means of adjustment for the knock-off devices and bunter is provided, as the bunter can thus be set to the proper position to cooperate with the shoulder g of the head at the proper time.

It will be understood that while there are two vertically-movable supports for the lifterbars, one at each side of the loom, and means to lift said supports in unison it is unnecessary to employ more than one of the actuating-links g, with its head g and the connected devices intermediate said head and the feelerrock-shaft. 4

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement herein shown and described, as the same may be modified or rearranged in various particulars without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In warp-stop -n1otion mechanism for looms, a series of longitudinally-slotted detectors normally supported by the warpthreads, adjacent fixed warp-rests, a feeler to engage a detector released by its warpthread, alifter-bar extended through the slots of the detectors, and means to periodically lift said bar sufficiently to support the detectors and relieve the warp-threads of the weight thereof.

2. In warp-stop-motion mechanism for' support the detectors and relieve the warpthreads of the weight thereof.

3. In warp stop motion mechanism for looms, a series of longitudinally-slotted detectors normally supported by the warpthreads, adjacent fixed warp-rests, a feeler to engage a detector released by its warp-thread, a rock-shaft, a wiper-cam on the rock-shaft, a lifter-bar extended through the slots of the detectors, vertically-movable supports therefor, and means connective of said supports and the wiper-cam and actuated by the latter to periodically lift the bar and sustain the detectors independently of the warp-threads.

4. In warp stop motion mechanism for looms, a series of longitudinally-slotted detectors normally supported by the warpthreads, adjacent fixed warp-rests, a feeler to engage a detector released by its warp-thread, a rock-shaft, a wiper-cam on the rock-shaft, a lifter-bar extended through the slots of the detectors, vertically-m ovable supports therefor, and a lever connected with one of said supports and provided with a toe to rest on and be moved by the wiper-cam, to periodically lift said bar by the rocking of the rockshaft and sustain the detectors independently of the warp-threads.

5. In warp-stop -motion mechanism for looms, two parallel series of detectors maintained inoperative by normal warp-threads, two feelers, one foreach series of detectors, arranged in tandem and adapted to be normally moved below said detectors, a rock-shaft between the series of detectors below and adjacent the warp-threads, forming a rest therefor intermediate the series of detectors, depending arms thereon to which the feelers are attached, and stopping means for the loom actuated by or through engagement of a feeler and a detector in abnormal position.

6. In warp stop motion mechanism for looms, two parallel series of detectors maintained inoperative by normal warp-threads, two feelers, one for each series of detectors, means to periodically lift the detectors and relieve the warp-th reads of their weight,feeleractuating mechanism, and operative connections between it and the detector lifting means.

7. In warp stop motion mechanism for looms, two parallel series of longitudinallyslotted detectors maintained inoperative by normal warp-threads, two feelers, connected lifter-bars extended through the slots of the detectors, means to actuate the feelers, and connections between said means and the lifter-bars, to periodically lift the latter and relieve the warp-threads of their weight.

8. In warp stop motion mechanism for looms, two parallel series of longitudinally slotted detectors maintained inoperative by normal warp-threads, a rock-shaft between the series of detectors, two feelers, lifter-bars extended through the slots of the detectors, vertically-movable supports for said bars, bifurcated to embrace the rock-shaft, connections between the latter and said supports, to raise and lower the supports as said shaft is rocked, and means to rock the said shaft.

9. In a loom ,a series of detectors maintained inoperative by normal warp-threads, a rockshaft, a feeler carried thereby to cooperate with a detector in abnormal position, means to normally rock said shaft and vibrate the feeler, a rocking hunter loosely mounted concentric with the rock-shaft and adapted to be engaged and moved by said means upon operative engagement of a feeler with a detector, and stopping mechanism for the loom actuated by such movement of the hunter.

10. In a loom, a series of detectors maintained inoperative by normal warp-threads, a cooperating feeler, to engage a detector in abnormal position, a pivotally mounted hunter, a common support for the feeler and hunter, and serving also as a warp-rest, means to normally move the feeler and to engage and swing the hunter upon operative engagement of a feeler with a detector, and stopping mechanism for the loom actuated by movement of the hunter.

11. In a loom, a series of detectors maintained inoperative by normal warp-threads, a cooperating feeler to engage an abnormallypositioned detector, a rock-shaft to which the feeler is rigidly attached, an arm on said shaft provided with a toe, and a longitudinallymovahle actuator having a hooked end to engage the toe and swing the arm, thereby vibrating the feeler, operative engagement of the feeler with a detector disengaging said toe from movement with the actuator.

12. In a loom, a series of detectors maintained inoperative by normal warp-threads, acooperating feeler, to engage a detector in abnormal position, a pivotally mounted hunter, a common support for the feeler and hunter, and serving also as a warp-rest, means to normally move the feeler and to engage and swing the bunter upon operative engagement of a feeler with a detector, a shipper-lever, a knock-01f arm therefor, and a link connecting said arm and hunter, swinging of the latter on its support operating to release the shipper-lever.

13. In a loom, two series of detectors maintained inoperative by normal warp-threads, a rock-shaft between said series, two feelers in tandem depending therefrom to vibrate below the detectors, a hunter loosely mounted on said shaft, a shipper-lever, a releasing device therefor operated by movement of said hunter, an arm fast on the rock-shaft, and actuating means to normally engage and rock said arm, cooperative engagement of the 15. In warp stopmotion mechanism for looms, a series of actuating-detectors normally supported by the warp-threads, a cooperating feeler movable toward and from said detectors, and means to reciprocate the feeler and periodically lift the detectors from the warp-threads, the lifting being effected on one stroke of the feeler and the feeling movement of the latter on the other stroke.

16. In warp-stop-motion mechanism for looms, a series of actuating-detectors normally supported by the warp-threads, a cooperating feeler movable toward and from said detectors, a rock-shaft, connections between it and the feeler and the detectors, to move the feeler toward and away from the detectors and to periodically raise and lower the latter, to intermittingly relieve the warpthreads of the weight of the detectors.

1?. In warp-stop-motion mechanism for looms, a series-of actuating-detectors normally-supported by the warp-threads, a rockshaft, means to lift the detectors and thereby relieve the warp-threads of their weight, and actuating connections between the rock-shaft and said means, to lift the detectors on the stroke of the feeler toward them.

18. In warp-stop-motion mechanism for looms, a series of detectors maintained inoperative by normal warp-threads, a cooperating feeler, a rock-shaft with which said feeler is connected and having a rocker-arm, a positively-reciprocating actuator, and a connection between it and the rocker-arm, automatically disconnected when movement of the rock-shaft is arrested, and normally serving to effect the rocking of the shaft, and vibrating movement of the feeler by reciprocation of the actuator.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES H. NORTHROP.

Witnesses:

FRANK J. DUTOHER, HENRY LAWRENGE. 

